1. Technical Field
This invention relates to baby walkers and, more particularly, to a foldable baby walker for promoting the safety and comfort of a child.
2. Prior Art
There are numerous different types of children's walkers, some of which have annular or ring-type bases. One problem with walkers of that general type is the difficulty in storing them because the ring-type base is fairly large, in the order of three feet in diameter and the seat projects two to three feet below the ring. Thus, a parent must either clear a significant amount of space to enable storage in a closet or leave the walker where it may get in the way.
A number of different types of child walkers are currently available on the market that are foldable so as to facilitate carrying and to enable storage in areas of restricted space. Prior walkers of this type, however, often include complex release mechanisms which must be manipulated to move the walkers into a folded position. In many cases, for reasons of safety, the release mechanisms are intentionally made difficult to operate to prevent the accidental or improper collapse of the walker by a child seated therein. In one prior walker, for example, portions of the support frame must be physically detached from one another before the walker can be folded.
Another prior walker includes four supporting leg members, each of which includes a separate mechanism which must be released to fold the walker. Such mechanisms are difficult to operate even when a child is not seated in the walkers. Additionally, such mechanisms are expensive to manufacture, and increase the overall cost of the walkers significantly.
Many toddlers and infants that use walkers are at the appropriate age where they start teething. As is well known, this process causes the child's gums to become irritated, itchy and some times painful. In order to alleviate the irritation and itchiness associated with teething, parents often provide their toddlers with chew rings, etc. that they may use to bite on, and in effect, scratch their gums with. A problem arises though, when a toddler uses such a chew ring while they are in a walker. If the chew ring is dropped and falls on the floor it needs to be cleaned and the child cannot reach the chew on the floor while in the walker. Thus, an affixed chewing apparatus would be appropriate.
Parents are also often required to remove their child from a walker when it comes time to feed them, because there is no suitable surface on the walker to feed them from. This is time and energy consuming, and may become increasingly difficult to do as the child grows older and heavier. Having a tray conveniently disposable on the walker would greatly assist in alleviating this issue.
Accordingly, a need remains for a foldable baby walker in order to overcome the above-noted shortcomings. The present invention satisfies such a need by providing a baby walker that is easy and comfortable to use, portable and foldable in design, and durable in construction. Such a walker's metal frame and cloth seat folds compactly, and is thus, easy to carry and store, making it convenient to use. Furthermore, using the walker advantageously eliminates the need to leave an infant or toddler on a dirty carpet or floor where they can easily become exposed to bacteria and other germs. The walker's removable tray also allows a child to be easily fed while sitting in the walker. Such a walker conveniently allows a parent to relax and enjoy themselves as they keep and eye on their child.